Journey of the Spirits

Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh: "My relationship with black gospel music (which I love) is problematic. The church and its music has helped sustain blacks through 400 years of virulent American racism ... and I, privileged Caucasian that I am, feel like a carpetbagger every time I listen to a Mahalia Jackson CD. Complicating the matter is my own take on God. It's hard to imagine someone less religious than me. No, that's too polite: It's hard to imagine someone who hates religion more than me. And not just religion, but the very notion of faith, surely the most life-negating concept of all time. Consequently, poor old Mahalia doesn't make it on to my iTunes playlist as often as she should."